Netflix has regained most of the U.S. customers it had lost following an unpopular price increase, signaling that the video subscription service is healing from its self-inflected wounds.

Fourth-quarter figures released Wednesday show Netflix Inc. ended December with 24.4 million subscribers in the U.S. That was up 600,000 from 23.8 million at the end of September. That means Netflix regained about three-quarters of the 800,000 it lost last summer after raising its U.S. prices by as much as 60 percent.

The subscriber uptick is a positive sign for Netflix after several months of upheaval that battered its stock.

The fallout contributed to a 14 percent decrease in Netflix's fourth-quarter earnings.

Netflix made $40.7 million, or 73 cents per share, in the final three months of last year. That compares with income of $47.1 million, or 87 cents per share, a year earlier.

Investors had been bracing for a bigger drop-off. The company's performance easily exceeded the average earnings estimate of 54 cents per share among analysts surveyed by FactSet.

Fourth-quarter revenue climbed 47 percent from the previous year to $876 million — $19 million above analyst projections.

Netflix's stock soared $12.97, or more than 13 percent, to $108.01 in extended trading. During the regular session, it increased $2.37, up 2.6 percent.

The stock still has a long way to go to return to its peak of nearly $305, which was reached in July, about the same time that Netflix announced the price increase that outraged customers.

But the fourth-quarter results should help bolster confidence in Netflix CEO Reed Hastings, who had been skewered in Internet forums and analyst notes for miscalculating how subscribers would react to higher prices.

A contrite Hastings had promised that Netflix would work to lure back customers, and it managed to do so better than he had forecast.

Netflix expects its comeback to gather more momentum in the current quarter.

The company, which is based in Los Gatos, Calif., forecast that it will add 1.7 million U.S. subscribers to a service that streams video over high-speed Internet connections. That would be in line with how many streaming subscribers signed up in last year's first quarter.

Netflix ended 2011 with 21.7 million streaming subscribers in the U.S. and another 1.9 million in Canada and Latin America. This month, Netflix introduced streaming plans in the United Kingdom and Ireland, too.

Most of the streaming gains will be offset by cancellations of DVD-by-mail rental plans, which Netflix is gradually phasing out. Hastings believes discs are becoming increasingly antiquated as technology advances. Netflix predicted its DVD subscriptions will fall from 11.2 million in December to 9.7 million in March. The company lost 2.8 million DVD subscribers in the fourth quarter.

While Netflix sees its emphasis on streaming as a smart long-term strategy, the DVD attrition will hurt the company's financial performance this year. That's because Netflix's recent price increases made delivering discs through the mail more profitable, at least for now. Part of the reason is because Netflix is paying higher fees to obtain the streaming rights to exclusive programming, as well as video already available in other outlets and formats.

Netflix expects those factors to produce an annual loss this year, the first time that has happened in a decade. The company gave the first inkling at how big the setback will be with its first-quarter projections. The company predicted a loss of 16 cents to 49 cents per share.

The average analyst estimate called for a first-quarter loss of 29 cents per share.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- Netflix reported second-quarter earnings Tuesday that beat analyst expectations, but shares fell 13% after-hours as the company offered a weak outlook for the rest of the year.Netflix said it may be "challenging" for it to meet its goal of adding 7 million new streaming subscribers in the United States this year if subscribers don't come in strong in the third quarter. In the first half of the year, Netflix added roughly 2.3 million new domestic streaming subscribers, and now has nearly 24 million in total.

In a letter to investors outlining the results, Netflix CEO Reed Hastings suggested that the Olympics could have a negative impact on viewing and sign-ups.

Netflix (NFLX) reported $889 million in revenue for the second quarter, in line with analyst expectations, and earnings of 11 cents a share, ahead of analyst projections for five cents. Net income was $6 million.In the third quarter, Netflix said it expects to post results anywhere between a loss of 10 cents a share and earnings of 14 cents a share. For the fourth quarter, the company said it will return to the red as it launches in a new market -- as yet unnamed -- in Europe.Netflix had warned previously that it would lose money throughout 2012 as it expands internationally. In the first quarter, the company lost $5 million, or 8 cents a share.

Netflix's stock has been volatile this year, pushing close to $130 in February before dipping to around $62 in June. Shares jumped more than 10% earlier this month after Hastings revealed that subscribers watched more than 1 billion hours of video in June.A key concern for Netflix is how much it will have to shell out to retain its catalog of TV and film titles.

Studios are demanding that Netflix pay them more money for their content, and not all of those negotiations are working out. Netflix was unable to renew its contract with Starz, a key content supplier. The Liberty Media (LMCA)-owned cable company has a large chunk of Disney (DIS, Fortune 500) movies that are now no longer in Netflix's catalog.The company is also facing competition in streaming from HuluPlus and Amazon Prime Instant Video. Hastings said neither of these services have so far gained "meaningful traction relative to our viewing hours," but are likely to step up their efforts.Verizon's (VZ, Fortune 500) Redbox Instant, set to launch later this year, will offer an additional challenge, though Hastings said it "will face a big challenge to break into the top 3 of subscription streaming services."

Terrible 2011: Netflix was once the company that could do no wrong in the eyes of customers and investors.But 2011 was a year full of missteps that eroded both Netflix's reputation and market value. The troubles began in September, when Netflix hiked prices by 60% for customers subscribing to both Netflix's DVD and streaming business. In the third quarter of 2011, the company's U.S. subscriber base fell for the first time in years.

Then, Netflix stunned customers when it said it would rename its DVD business Qwikster and separate that business from the more lucrative streaming division. Customers raged so much that Netflix scrapped the idea less than a month later.In Tuesday's letter to investors, Hastings said the company guessed it would take three years from the Qwikster debacle before Netflix achieves "full brand recovery."

Title: Re: Netflix
Post by: deadz on July 24, 2012, 09:46:29 PM

I cancelled Netflix. Their service is horrible. I predict they will be out of business in less than three years.

I work for them. My stock went from about $300K in value to about 20% of that during the hemorrhaging. It's back up to almost $100K now, so things are looking up.

Complaining about your stock loss from 300 is like complaining that your house is no longer worth what it was during the real estate bubble: it was never worth that to begin with. The inflated value was just that: froth. If you bought at the peak then you were not very smart and should not be trading. I bought at around $80 and sold at $270. At its current value of $60 I think it is worth buying again but you need to watch it carefully; competition is heating up and they need to execute flawlessly to excel. Can they do it? Time will tell.

Complaining about your stock loss from 300 is like complaining that your house is no longer worth what it was during the real estate bubble: it was never worth that to begin with. The inflated value was just that: froth. If you bought at the peak then you were not very smart and should not be trading. I bought at around $80 and sold at $270. At its current value of $60 I think it is worth buying again but you need to watch it carefully; competition is heating up and they need to execute flawlessly to excel. Can they do it? Time will tell.

When did you buy?

They will continue to drop... You might say it's a buy, but you are going against all analysts when you do that... Everyone is saying sell.

If you buy now, you are wasting money.

It's now below 60... Lost 20 dollars since the closing bell yesterday.

They will continue to drop... You might say it's a buy, but you are going against all analysts when you do that... Everyone is saying sell.

If you buy now, you are wasting money.

It's now below 60... Lost 20 dollars since the closing bell yesterday.

Disclaimer: I am not buying. I got out at 270 and that was enough for me. I'm still a Netflix user though and love the service. I'm a fan of old movies so the streaming offering suits me just fine; when I want something more recent I just add it to my queue. 8)

Disclaimer: I am not buying. I got out at 270 and that was enough for me. I'm still a Netflix user though and love the service. I'm a fan of old movies so the streaming offering suits me just fine; when I want something more recent I just add it to my queue. 8)

I see... Well, I was taking this quote and believed you were looking at buying again.

I started investing in the company when they started an Employee Stock Purchase Plan way back in '03 or so. About 4% of my pay went into it automatically, so I'm obviously not investing in it now. Any advice? Dump it soon?

Title: Re: Netflix
Post by: Stark on July 26, 2012, 07:09:00 AM

They are doing a massive ad campaign in Europe - I've listened to the CEO of the company on irish radio as well, to be honest their service does not buy me over, I do also love old films but in times like these were you really watch what you are spending and were your money goes these are expenses that I can do without.Plus I bet you the novelty factor wears off real fast and before you know it you watch maybe a movie a month - people like Bay who have no kids and possibly more "free time" maybe more.

They are doing a massive ad campaign in Europe - I've listened to the CEO of the company on irish radio as well, to be honest their service does not buy me over, I do also love old films but in times like these were you really watch what you are spending and were your money goes these are expenses that I can do without.Plus I bet you the novelty factor wears off real fast and before you know it you watch maybe a movie a month - people like Bay who have no kids and possibly more "free time" maybe more.

If you cannot afford $10 or $20 bucks for a movie then this is really not a conversation you should be participating in. Mind you that is the cost of a typical movie ticket in the cinema. For that same amount, one can have access to several DVDs per month and unlimited streaming (of select films) via your computer or Netflix connected TV. We are not talking about selling your yacht or your third vacation home in the South of France. ::)

From where I sit Netflix is still an excellent value.

People keep harping on the limited streaming content. Yes, it is limited, but it is no more limited that the streaming content of the competition. Movie studios do not really want you to have access to that content unless you are paying through the nose. The studios--not Netflix--are the bad guys here. It is worth remembering that Netflix became a very successful company by offering DVDs by mail. It still offers DVDs by mail and it does so very well. Streaming is icing on the cake. I actually prefer getting the DVDs. If I like the film, I can easily rip it (I have ripped dozens of movies) and ripping gives you the flexibility to rip with or without subtitles or in another language--which I also love. Ripping also gives me the flexibility to share films within my movie sharing circle online.

If you cannot afford $10 or $20 bucks for a movie then this is really not a conversation you should be participating in. Mind you that is the cost of a typical movie ticket in the cinema. For that same amount, one can have access to several DVDs per month and unlimited streaming (of select films) via your computer or Netflix connected TV. We are not talking about selling your yacht or your third vacation home in the South of France. ::)

From where I sit Netflix is still an excellent value.

People keep harping on the limited streaming content. Yes, it is limited, but it is no more limited that the streaming content of the competition. Movie studios do not really want you to have access to that content unless you are paying through the nose. The studios--not Netflix--are the bad guys here. It is worth remembering that Netflix became a very successful company by offering DVDs by mail. It still offers DVDs by mail and it does so very well. Streaming is icing on the cake. I actually prefer getting the DVDs. If I like the film, I can easily rip it (I have ripped dozens of movies) and ripping gives you the flexibility to rip with or without subtitles or in another language--which I also love. Ripping also gives me the flexibility to share films within my movie sharing circle online.

At $16.66/month I am a very satisfied Netflix customer. 8)

For me, I just couldnt ever find anything I wanted to watch on their streaming channel, which was the main reason I had it in the 1st place.

Title: Re: Netflix
Post by: BayGBM on July 26, 2012, 11:49:24 AM

Like the vast majority of their users, I joined Netflix for access to their DVD by mail service; it's like getting a present in the mail every time one arrives. To me, streaming is very much an afterthought. Two DVDs at at time (unlimited) for $11.99 a month is a value that can't be beat. Three DVDs (unlimited) are $15.99 a month. Again, a value that can't be beat. 8)

Like the vast majority of their users, I joined Netflix for access to their DVD by mail service; it's like getting a present in the mail every time one arrives. To me, streaming is very much an afterthought. Two DVDs at at time (unlimited) for $11.99 a month is a value that can't be beat. Three DVDs (unlimited) are $15.99 a month. Again, a value that can't be beat. 8)

The way their dvd system is setup, i almost always cheaper to just hit up red box tho.

Title: Re: Netflix
Post by: BayGBM on July 26, 2012, 05:15:12 PM

I'll admit I don't know much about redbox, but my understanding is they are focused on the latest releases. A) that is not my interest and B) that is not an improvement on Netflix because if a film is on DVD Netlflix has it. I'll choose three movies at random to prove my point:

Training Day 2002 Oscar winner for Best ActorThe Silence of the Lambs 1992 Oscar winner for Best ActressChariots of Fire 1982 Oscar winner for Best Picture

i just checked the redbox website and none of those were available. For a real movie fan, Redbox is no competition for Netflix.

I'll admit I don't know much about redbox, but my understanding is they are focused on the latest releases. A) that is not my interest and B) that is not an improvement on Netflix because if a film is on DVD Netlflix has it. I'll choose three movies at random to prove my point:

Training Day 2002 Oscar winner for Best ActorThe Silence of the Lambs 1992 Oscar winner for Best ActressChariots of Fire 1982 Oscar winner for Best Picture

i just checked the redbox website and none of those were available. For a real movie fan, Redbox is no competition for Netflix.

I think you're confusing two types of markets... For instance,myself... I don't usually watch old movies... If I do, then I probably have bought it. I generally can't find anything on Netflix streaming that I give a damn about.

Typically, the Redbox model, where I would get a new release movie and watch it maybe once a week, that's where it's at.

Actually, I rent more movies from my appleTV lately than anything.

Instantly watch the latest release without having to leave my living room? Yeah, I'm good with that... Even if it costs a couple of extra bucks.

Disclaimer: I am not buying. I got out at 270 and that was enough for me. I'm still a Netflix user though and love the service. I'm a fan of old movies so the streaming offering suits me just fine; when I want something more recent I just add it to my queue. 8)

TCM is the only thing you need, then. And Robert Osborne, the only host.

Just got Neflix for my appletv for the movie downfall. A few gripes, such as some new movies aren't available(tried to watch Inglorious Basterds and it wasn't available) also it charged me to rent Patton, but for $8 a month, I'll live with it. Shit, that's two beers at a bar.

If you believe that then I challenge you go come up with a better service. Reed Hastings thought Blockbuster "sucked" and created Netlfix from scratch as an alternative. The company now has more than 20 million monthly subscribers.

I think you're confusing two types of markets... For instance,myself... I don't usually watch old movies... If I do, then I probably have bought it. I generally can't find anything on Netflix streaming that I give a damn about.

Typically, the Redbox model, where I would get a new release movie and watch it maybe once a week, that's where it's at.

Actually, I rent more movies from my appleTV lately than anything.

Instantly watch the latest release without having to leave my living room? Yeah, I'm good with that... Even if it costs a couple of extra bucks.

If that is true then you are the one who is confused. You signed up for a service that never pretended to offer what you apparently wanted (the latest releases via streaming). Why would you do that? Ah, yes, you were confused. :-\

If Netflix had to cancel streaming and simply offer DVDs via mail I would still be perfectly happy with it. In fact, they offer that exact option of 2 DVDs at a time unlimited for $11.99 a month. A value that cannot be beat when one considers what it costs to go to the cinema.

If you believe that then I challenge you go come up with a better service. Reed Hastings thought Blockbuster "sucked" and created Netlfix from scratch as an alternative. The company now has more than 20 million monthly subscribers.

If that is true then you are the one who is confused. You signed up for a service that never pretended to offer what you apparently wanted (the latest releases via streaming). Why would you do that? Ah, yes, you were confused. :-\

If Netflix had to cancel streaming and simply offer DVDs via mail I would still be perfectly happy with it. In fact, they offer that exact option of 2 DVDs at a time unlimited for $11.99 a month. A value that cannot be beat when one considers what it costs to go to the cinema.

No... You are confused... Again.

I was with Netflix before streaming... When streaming was added, it was an add on, so obviously I wouldn't worry about it.

When they split streaming from the DVD/Blu-Ray mail service, Apple's iTunes had already been released and subsequently, DOES stream (for a fee) the latest releases.

So when the services were split, I cancelled and simply use iTunes to watch new things if I'm so inclined.

Apparently you do not recall the History or the past few years as far as the technological advancements of NUMEROUS services.

Netflix streaming just doesn't hold any value... Hence why I CANCELLED when they split them.

If you believe that then I challenge you go come up with a better service. Reed Hastings thought Blockbuster "sucked" and created Netlfix from scratch as an alternative. The company now has more than 20 million monthly subscribers.

If that is true then you are the one who is confused. You signed up for a service that never pretended to offer what you apparently wanted (the latest releases via streaming). Why would you do that? Ah, yes, you were confused. :-\

If Netflix had to cancel streaming and simply offer DVDs via mail I would still be perfectly happy with it. In fact, they offer that exact option of 2 DVDs at a time unlimited for $11.99 a month. A value that cannot be beat when one considers what it costs to go to the cinema.

I couldn't find anything I wanted to watch streaming, which is the main reason I wanted it. There are other services now that are close to the same thing - A couple that will stream and/or download straight to my blu-ray player. Cant think of the names right off my head, haven't gone after them yet. (Kind of a low priority while Im a broke college student).

Anyway, most of the people I know dropped Netflix becauseA.They have a terrible streaming selection, and

B.They didnt want to deal with the several day process that it takes to recieve/return DVDs by mail, especially with the new technology available practically making by-mail DVD's obsolete.

But yes, you are correct about how cheap it is for the by-mail service. You wont get any of the newer tech companies that cheap, at least I haven't heard of it.

I couldn't find anything I wanted to watch streaming, which is the main reason I wanted it. There are other services now that are close to the same thing - A couple that will stream and/or download straight to my blu-ray player. Cant think of the names right off my head, haven't gone after them yet. (Kind of a low priority while Im a broke college student).

Anyway, most of the people I know dropped Netflix becauseA.They have a terrible streaming selection, and

B.They didnt want to deal with the several day process that it takes to recieve/return DVDs by mail, especially with the new technology available practically making by-mail DVD's obsolete.

But yes, you are correct about how cheap it is for the by-mail service. You wont get any of the newer tech companies that cheap, at least I haven't heard of it.

That is exactly the point I am making. The movie studios want you to pay more--a lot more--for the latest releases. And if you buy/stream them one at a time you are paying more. I don't need the latest releases; if i did I would have gone to see them in the cinema. I can wait the extra 2-3 months for that latest release to show up on DVD and have it delivered to me for the same little fee Netflix charges. 8)

Netflix streaming sucks no new movies. If a movie has sequels the first movie is not available for streaming. I'll stuck with iTunes and blockbuster.

I agree, All old stuff on the streaming. It's more for old sitcoms. Once and awhile if you search for 20 min you can find a rare gem

Title: Re: Netflix
Post by: BayGBM on October 31, 2012, 03:49:44 PM

With Icahn move, Netflix is now officially in playThe streaming-video company's shares jump 15 percent on news that Carl Icahn has taken a significant stake in Netflix. The financier and former corporate raider once was a major shareholder in Blockbuster.

Shares of Netflix jumped sharply after an SEC filing disclosed that financier and former corporate raider Carl Icahn has taken a nearly ten percent stake in the streaming-video and DVD rental company.

The filing notes that Icahn Capital LP, an investment firm controlled by Icahn, and associated entities bought 5.54 million shares of stock in the company, plus call options, for $168.9 million. In remarks filed with the announcement, the group suggests Netflix is undervalued.

The disclosure of Icahn's investment comes just days after rumors that Microsoft might also be sniffing around Netflix. Unconfirmed rumors on Friday suggested that the Redmond, Wash., software giant might be prepared to offer $90 a share in an acquisition bid. Those reports appeared to fuel a 13 percent rise in Netflix shares that day...

Shares of Netflix were trading at $80 this afternoon, up $10 or 15 percent. A Netflix spokesman declined to comment.

So, those rumors about Microsoft having an interest in acquiring Netflix seem to have a little more relevance thanks to that line from the filing about how Icahn believes "Netflix may hold significant strategic value...for larger companies."

Now, throw in the fact that Netflix CEO Reed Hastings resigned recently from Microsoft's board and you have a lot of smoke. Hastings has said that he left Microsoft's board to devote more time to Netflix, but he's still on the boards of several other companies, including Facebook. Why would he give up Microsoft and not another seat on some other company?

Icahn is no stranger to the online video rental market or Netflix. He was a major stockholder and board member of Blockbuster, the country's once dominant video-rental chain store. In this capacity, he played an important role in helping to guide Blockbuster during it's doomed competition against Netflix.

Blockbuster's brick-and-mortar stores were done in by Netflix's DVD home-delivery business and it filed for bankruptcy protection in 2010. Icahn's history as an investor is full of high-profile proxy fights and tussles with management. In recent years, he has fashioned himself as an investor activist.

At Blockuster, Icahn warred with John Antioco, that company's former CEO, until Antioco resigned amid an effort to build up Blockbuster's own Web video delivery business that was making gains against Netflix, according to the book "Netflixed," by author Gina Keating.

Icahn supported the hiring of Jim Keyes to replace Antioco and he promptly threw the company's resources back into the stores, a strategy that likely hastened the company's demise. If Icahn isn't trying to make a quick buck on a Netflix sale, then it's likely he's going to want to influence management decisions at the company.In addition to Microsoft, rumors over the years about potential Netflix acquirers have included Amazon, Yahoo, and Apple.

SAN FRANCISCO — Netflix’s video subscription service has trumped pay-TV channels and grabbed the rights to show Disney movies shortly after they finish their runs in theaters.

The multiyear licensing agreement announced Tuesday represents a breakthrough for Netflix as it tries to add more recent movies to a popular service that streams video over high-speed Internet connections.

Netflix will have exclusive U.S. rights to offer the first-run movies through its streaming service during the period normally reserved for premium TV network such as HBO, Starz and Showtime. That period starts about seven months after movies leave theaters. The exclusivity does not extend to DVDs, a service Netflix is trying to phase out.

It’s the first time that one of Hollywood’s major studios has sold the coveted rights to Netflix Inc. instead of a premium TV network. DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc. licensed the pay-TV rights to its movies to Netflix last year under a deal that begins in 2013, but those movies don’t wield the same box-office appeal as Disney, whose stable includes Pixar Animation and Marvel.

Starz currently holds the rights to The Walt Disney Co.’s movies under a deal that expires in 2015. Beginning in 2016, Netflix will get the movies instead. Direct-to-video movies will come to Netflix sooner, as will older movies such as “Dumbo” and “Alice in Wonderland.”

In Tuesday’s news release, the Los-Gatos, Calif.-based Netflix didn’t disclose how much it is paying Disney.

The Disney deal gives Netflix a measure of revenge against Starz, which had been demanding a price that Netflix refused to pay when their licensing agreement expired earlier this year. The Starz rights had included Disney movies, so losing that access had been seen as a blow to Netflix.

The stock price of Liberty Media Corp., Starz’ owner, dropped $7.08, or 6.4 percent, to $103.97 in afternoon trading. Shares of Disney, which is based in Burbank, Calif., lost 3 cents to $49.26.

I will say it again, for the price, it's worth it to me. I can get new releases from redbox, but there are a lot of cool things on Netflix. You just keep tumbling down the rabbit hole. I watched a film the other day, and it had a suggestion of a program about the Ottoman Empire, which was cool because I just finished a book on that subject. It needs to be used as an ancillary form of tv, not your primary source of movies.

I will say it again, for the price, it's worth it to me. I can get new releases from redbox, but there are a lot of cool things on Netflix. You just keep tumbling down the rabbit hole. I watched a film the other day, and it had a suggestion of a program about the Ottoman Empire, which was cool because I just finished a book on that subject. It needs to be used as an ancillary form of tv, not your primary source of movies.

I'm thinking of selling the stock before year's end. A family member browsed E-Trade's site and said that she read something about any sales being tax-free if they're made before 2013. Besides, the days of Netflix shares being worth 300 a pop are long gone.

Since you posted this message on March 29, 2013 (when Netflix was trading at $189) it has gone up more than 100%. On December 23 it hit $380; it has since come down to $330. I am still a happy Netflix customer but if you own the stock I would sell it right now, as I expect it to deflate in the quarters ahead.

Since you posted this message on March 29, 2013 (when Netflix was trading at $189) it has gone up more than 100%. On December 23 it hit $380; it has since come down to $330. I am still a happy Netflix customer but if you own the stock I would sell it right now, as I expect it to deflate in the quarters ahead.

Welcome back Bay.

I assume you'll be gone for several more months and pop back in randomly?

1 get large number of users by giving away cheap str8 to vid movies mixed with slowly lowering real movie content2 once huge subscription base, like cable, charge MORE for new and or good stuff like cable charges for fights and NFL packages

totally obvious now that I see it

and explains why I have to search though 20 1 star "str8 to vid" movies to find one smei watchable pos

wow

funny how its always a slow pain injection and slowly reduced good stuff while they keep u pay ing

Netflix has nabbed a deal with The Weinstein Co. to stream the sequel to Ang Lee's Academy Award-winning martial arts drama, "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" on the same day that it will appear in IMAX theaters next year.

The film, "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: The Green Legend," is set to debut on August 28, 2015. Lee is not involved in the project, which will be directed by martial arts choreographer Yuen Wo-Ping. It stars Michelle Yeoh and Donnie Yen.

It also marks the first fruit of work carried out by the company's chief content officer, Ted Sarandos to nail this sort of deal where Netflix gets to participate in hosting films that premiere on the same day as they appear in IMAX theaters. In statements released with the announcement, the companies said this would be the first of several such projects.

"Fans will have unprecedented choice in how they enjoy an amazing and memorable film that combines intense action and incredible beauty," said Sarandos. TWC Co-Chairman Harvey Weinstein added that "the moviegoing experience is evolving quickly and profoundly" adding that "Netflix is unquestionably at the forefront of that movement."

With Icahn move, Netflix is now officially in playThe streaming-video company's shares jump 15 percent on news that Carl Icahn has taken a significant stake in Netflix. The financier and former corporate raider once was a major shareholder in Blockbuster.

I bought 200 shares at $79 after I heard Icahn was in. I sold 100 north of $300 and started keeping a put on it at that level, but I've made roughly $60k here in less than 2 years. I've been riding Icahn's jock on too many investments to count for a good decade, and I've made millions as he's made tens of billions. I guess it's a good thing I realize that he's richer than me and all other getbiggers combined because he's smarter than we are. If he personally doesn't know something about a company, industry, or product line, chances are he's paying someone who does.

Anyone here who's serious about making money should watch what the activist investors like Icahn and Peltz do, then do a little due diligence and consider following them in with at least a few bucks - then probably getting out when the news hits that they've either done what they set out to do, or bailed out because they couldn't for whatever reason.

I bought 200 shares at $79 after I heard Icahn was in. I sold 100 north of $300 and started keeping a put on it at that level, but I've made roughly $60k here in less than 2 years. I've been riding Icahn's jock on too many investments to count for a good decade, and I've made millions as he's made tens of billions. I guess it's a good thing I realize that he's richer than me and all other getbiggers combined because he's smarter than we are. If he personally doesn't know something about a company, industry, or product line, chances are he's paying someone who does.

Anyone here who's serious about making money should watch what the activist investors like Icahn and Peltz do, then do a little due diligence and consider following them in with at least a few bucks - then probably getting out when the news hits that they've either done what they set out to do, or bailed out because they couldn't for whatever reason.

They're richer than we are because they're smarter than we are.

Like I said, I worked for them for over ten years and made six figures when I dumped all my Employee Stock Purchase shares about two years ago. I got a nice, quiet apartment, a Mustang convertible, and I took a nice trip to Glacier Park a month ago.

Netflix’s announcement that it will release the sequel to “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” along with select Imax theaters drew strong criticism from theater giants Regal Cinemas and AMC Theatres on Tuesday, as the plan potentially disrupts a business model built on giving theater-goers first dibs on big-picture productions.

In a statement responding to the announcement by Netflix and the Weinstein Company, Regal Cinemas said it will “not participate in an experiment where you can see the same product on screens varying from three stories tall to 3 inches wide on a smartphone.”

“We believe the choice for truly enjoying a magnificent movie is clear,” Russ Nunley, spokesman for Regal Cinemas said. Regal operates 7,341 screens in 573 theaters in the United States.

AMC Theatres, the largest operator of theaters with Imax equipment, said they also won’t participate in Netflix’s and Weinstein Company’s plans.

“AMC Theatres and Wanda Cinema are the largest operators of Imax-equipped auditoriums in the world,” said Frank Ybarra, spokesman for AMC Theatres, which licenses the Imax equipment in 147 theaters. “Only AMC and Wanda decide what programming plays in our respective theaters. No one has approached us to license this made-for-video sequel in the U.S. or China, so one must assume the screens Imax committed are in science centers and aquariums.”

At the heart of the theater companies’ response is the growing fear in some parts of the entertainment industry that the television experience is increasingly merging with moviegoing. Box office sales have been stagnant or falling for years; this summer was also a disappointment. The soft ticket sales are due to a number of factors, including better television technology in homes, shifts in tastes for movies and better alternatives online. Theaters have tried to lure moviegoers with plush reclining chairs, reserved seating and gourmet concession stands.

Meanwhile, television — on cable, broadcast and online — is thriving, with advertising revenues and new subscriptions increasing. Netflix, which has expanded most quickly onto the turf of television networks, has said it has ambitious plans to tackle more forms of original content.

“Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: The Green Legend,” directed by Yuen Wo-Ping, who choreographed “The Matrix” triology and “Kill Bill” 1 and 2, will again star Michelle Yeoh as Yu Shu-Lien. The Weinstein Company will produce the movie, which will be released simultaneously to Netflix subscribers and in select Imax theaters.

“The moviegoing experience is evolving quickly and profoundly, and Netflix is unquestionably at the forefront of that movement,” Weinstein Company co-chairman Harvey Weinstein said. “We are tremendously excited to be continuing our great relationship with Netflix and bringing to fans all over the world the latest chapter in this amazing and intriguing story.”

Title: Re: Netflix
Post by: BayGBM on October 02, 2014, 10:19:56 AM

Netflix signs Adam Sandler to four-film dealBy Cecilia Kang

Netflix announced Thursday it will bring four movies by comedian Adam Sandler exclusively to its subscribers, the latest push by the online video service into the terrain of Hollywood movie studios.

Netflix didn’t disclose financial terms of the deal or timing of the movies’ releases. The company’s head of content, Ted Sarandos, said it approached Sandler to create the feature-length films because the actor’s movies were consistently among the top watched films for Netflix’s 50 million global users.

“People love Adam’s films on Netflix and often watch them again and again. His appeal spans across viewers of all ages — everybody has a favorite movie, everyone has a favorite line — not just in the U.S. but all over the world,” Sarandos said in a release.

The comedian, known for his raunchy, fraternity-like humor, said: “When these fine people came to me with an offer to make four movies for them, I immediately said yes for one reason and one reason only….Netflix rhymes with Wet Chicks.”

“Let the streaming begin!!!!,” he said in the release.

Though Sandler’s films have been popular for Netflix’s users, the actor and movie producer hasn’t had breakout hit in years.

Sandler began his career on television’s “Saturday Night Live” before launching a prolific movie career. In recent years, his movies “That’s My Boy” and “Jack and Jill” were panned by critics and did poorly in movie ticket sales.

But the 48-year-old actor and producer has one of the deepest catalogs of movies. His movies have reached about $3 billion in box office sales and according to Nash Information Services, a movie data company, Sandler ranks 68 for top-grossing actors.

Netflix’s deal with Sandler comes days after it announced plans to exclusively distribute on Netflix and some Imax theaters a sequel to “Crouching Tiger” with producer The Weinstein Company. The announcement angered theater firms AMC Theatres and Regal, who have been hit by competition in home movie viewing and rely their ability to run movies first in their theaters.

Wouldn't want to go without my 80Mb fios. (75 really, but tests are always over 80)

I do not. But if you visit the Comcast website for example the Digital Starter package for cable TV alone is $44.99/mo for the first 12 months. Presumably the cost goes up considerably after that. Other TV options start as high as @$99.99 again for the first 12 months after which it goes up up up! For movies Netflix is still the best value by far; plans start as low as $7.99/mo.

I do not. But if you visit the Comcast website for example the Digital Starter package for cable TV alone is $44.99/mo for the first 12 months. Presumably the cost goes up considerably after that. Other TV options start as high as @$99.99 again for the first 12 months after which it goes up up up! For movies Netflix is still the best value by far; plans start as low as $7.99/mo.

Search for a film you can't find and report back. Pretty sure they regained access to their old catalogue, which offers just about anything you can think of.

Here are classics in just one genre they don't have:E.T.Star WarsAliensBlade RunnerThe Matrix(unavailable to stream, but they have it on DVD)2001: A Space Odyssey (unavailable to stream, but they have it on DVD)A Clockwork Orange (unavailable to stream)Rise of the Planet of the Apes (unavailable to stream) - and they have none of the original moviesGhostbusters

And keeping it bodybuilding-related, they don't have The Terminator! (only on DVD)

There's certainly a long list of popular movies in many genres they don't have.

I said it once, I'll say it again. Their selection sucks. However, I do have it (mainly for my kids). I'll probably dump it soon. We all end up watching more on TV.

Here are classics in just one genre they don't have:E.T.Star WarsAliensBlade RunnerThe Matrix(unavailable to stream, but they have it on DVD)2001: A Space Odyssey (unavailable to stream, but they have it on DVD)A Clockwork Orange (unavailable to stream)Rise of the Planet of the Apes (unavailable to stream) - and they have none of the original moviesGhostbusters

And keeping it bodybuilding-related, they don't have The Terminator! (only on DVD)

There's certainly a long list of popular movies in many genres they don't have.

I said it once, I'll say it again. Their selection sucks. However, I do have it (mainly for my kids). I'll probably dump it soon. We all end up watching more on TV.

All of those films are available on Netflix via DVD. The plan for 1 disk at a time is $7.99/month. 2 at a time is $11.99/month. Both of those plans are cheaper than the price of just one movie ticket. How much would it cost to take your family to the movies? $30? $40? $50?

Actually, millions of people still have time for that. If you wanted to see the movie right away, you would have seen it in theaters at $10-$15 a pop. When I go to my mailbox the first thing I open is my Netflix envelope. Bills, not so much.

With the DVD I can watch it on any TV in the house or on my home office iMac. Best of all: if i like it, I can rip it for later repeated viewings. 8)

Here are classics in just one genre they don't have:E.T.Star WarsAliensBlade RunnerThe Matrix(unavailable to stream, but they have it on DVD)2001: A Space Odyssey (unavailable to stream, but they have it on DVD)A Clockwork Orange (unavailable to stream)Rise of the Planet of the Apes (unavailable to stream) - and they have none of the original moviesGhostbusters

And keeping it bodybuilding-related, they don't have The Terminator! (only on DVD)

There's certainly a long list of popular movies in many genres they don't have.

I said it once, I'll say it again. Their selection sucks. However, I do have it (mainly for my kids). I'll probably dump it soon. We all end up watching more on TV.

Not sure how "only on DVD" refutes my point, but I am surprised that some of those others aren't available at all. Streaming would be ideal, sure, but the DVDs show up in a day or two, I'm fine with that.

Edit: Just searched them on Netflix; EVERY one you mentioned is available.

Not sure how "only on DVD" refutes my point, but I am surprised that some of those others aren't available at all. Streaming would be ideal, sure, but the DVDs show up in a day or two, I'm fine with that.

Edit: Just searched them on Netflix; EVERY one you mentioned is available.

Because the studio that owns the film does not want to make it available for streaming. There are often a variety of reasons behind this decision, but it any case it is not a Netflix decision. Studios can change their minds and often do. Streaming rights for films are given for specific titles and for a specific window of time; typically 3-5 years. After that time, the film may disappear from the streaming catalog.

btw, is there anyone who wants to see Terminator who has not already done so? ???

Title: Re: Netflix
Post by: MP on October 15, 2014, 07:54:58 PM

OK, so old movies are available on DVD. I get it.

What about new releases? They hardly have anything new on streaming. Are those all on DVD, too?

What about new releases? They hardly have anything new on streaming. Are those all on DVD, too?

Netflix has been around since 1997; their business model is old news: with very few exceptions if it is on DVD Netflix has it. If you want to watch a "new release" go see it in theaters and pay $10-$15 at a time. As I have said before, Netflix became a huge and successful company because they offer multiple DVDs by mail at a very low price with no late fees. The streaming catalog is merely icing on the cake.

Title: Re: Netflix
Post by: BayGBM on October 16, 2014, 10:06:04 AM

This is a nice option, but I don't think it will have huge numbers. The last thing most people want is yet another subscription service they have to pay for in perpetuity. I will pass. :(

Watch out, HBO: CBS launches standalone Web TV serviceCBS fires up its own digital subscription service called All Access for $5.99 a month, offering the ability to stream local CBS stations live in 14 big US markets plus a library of its shows.by Joan E. Solsman

CBS said Thursday it is launching a digital subscription video service that includes live streaming and video on demand.

The announcement marks the latest in a string of developments shoring up the concept of Internet-based TV as a growing competitor to traditional television. On Wednesday, HBO unveiled plans to launch a standalone service next year that will let people watch programming purely online without subscribing to any pay-TV provider, and companies including Verizon, Dish and Sony are aiming to fire up online-only multichannel video services this year or next.

The service, called CBS All Access, is priced at $5.99 a month and is untethered to any pay-TV subscription. It will offer thousands of episodes from the current season, previous seasons and classic shows on demand, as well as the ability to stream local CBS stations live in 14 of the largest US markets at launch, the company said.

Although broadcast rival ABC, owned by Disney, was the first out of the gate in providing a live-streaming feed of its programming in certain markets, it stuck to the TV industry's favored format of offering the service only to people who already subscribed to a pay-TV like cable or satellite. CBS breaks from that mold, allowing anyone to sign up for the new offering.

The riskiness of breaking a digital video service out of the normal pay-TV system is lower for a broadcast network like CBS than it is for a cable channel like HBO. Though almost all traditional TV is watched via a pay-TV subscription like cable or satellite today, broadcast networks were -- and still are -- free for anyone to watch over public airwaves.

Still, it's a bold move for CBS, which is perhaps best-known in the Internet TV world for being an opponent rather than a cheerleader. CBS was an outspoken adversary against Aereo, the startup that streamed over-the-air TV signals to its paid subscribers without handing royalty or carriage fees back to license holders like CBS. Broadcast television companies including CBS sued Aereo, and the Supreme Court ruled this year that the service was essentially illegal in its current form. The case was sent back to a lower court, where it is still pending.

But CBS has been innovative with digital platforms in other ways. A deal with Amazon last year licensed episodes of the CBS summer series "Under the Dome" to the e-commerce giant five days after they were broadcast, a partnership the companies extended this year and expanded to the Halle Berry sci-fi thriller "Extant."

On Thursday, Jim Lanzone, president and CEO of CBS Interactive, said that the company has integrated the CBS All Access service into existing offerings like CBS.com and the CBS app and that All Access will come to all major digital platforms - including additional connected devices -- in the coming months

"Our focus is to develop the best cross-platform video experience possible," Lanzone said in a statement. "CBS All Access delivers on that promise by giving our audience not only more CBS content but also more ways to watch."

CBS All Access will have full current seasons of 15 prime-time shows with episodes available the day after they air, in addition to live-streaming of 14 local stations. It will also have full past seasons of eight current series like "The Good Wife," "Blue Bloods" and "Survivor" and a library of more than 5,000 episodes of CBS classic programs like "Star Trek" and "Twin Peaks," and the several series belonging to the "CSI" franchise.

Classic shows will be ad-free. The more current content will include commercials, and live-streams will have the advertising that is already programmed into the broadcast itself.

Title: Re: Netflix
Post by: BayGBM on October 16, 2014, 10:10:50 AM

Netflix Stock Getting Absolutely Hammeredby Tom Huddleston, Jr.

Shares of Netflix NFLX -18.91% have plunged after its quarterly earnings Wednesday in which the streaming service said it added fewer new members than expected. Netflix released a third-quarter financial report showing that the company has grown to 53.1 million total members worldwide, but the addition of 3.02 million subscribers in the third quarter fell below the company’s previous prediction of 3.69 million.

Despite the poorly received subscriber statistics, Netflix hit Wall Street’s revenue estimates in the third quarter by bringing in $1.4 billion. The company also reported profits of $59.3 million, or 96 cents a share, up from $48.4 million in last year’s third quarter. However, Netflix is only predicting earnings of 44 cents per share for the current quarter, which is far below the 91 cents per share that analysts had predicted, according to Bloomberg.

The disappointing subscriber totals knocked more than $115, or 26%, off each Netflix share to erase all of the company’s gains for the year.

Investors continue to be concerned about Netflix’s ability to hit membership growth goals after the company raised prices for new members by $1 earlier this year. Earlier this year, the company said it had topped 50 million streaming subscribers. At the time, the company added a better-than-expected 1.7 million members.

In a letter to shareholders, Netflix CEO Reed Hastings and CFO David Wells blamed the third-quarter’s poor membership growth on this year’s price hike while adding that the effects were likely not felt in the second quarter because of “the large positive reception” to the second season of the popular Netflix original television show Orange is the New Black.

“As best we can tell, the primary cause is the slightly higher prices we now have compared to a year ago. Slightly higher prices result in slightly less growth, other things being equal, and this is manifested more clearly in higher adoption markets such as the U.S.,” the Netflix executives wrote in a letter to shareholders.

In the U.S., specifically, the number of net new subscribers dropped to 1 million last quarter from 1.3 million during the same period last year. Netflix says it sill expects to add another 4 million new members in the fourth quarter, including 1.85 million in the U.S. and another 2.15 million overseas. Coming into Wednesday, the company’s stock had risen more than 20% on the year and had recently been buoyed by Netflix’s launch in six new European countries, led by France and Germany.

Hours before Netflix released its latest financial report, Time Warner TWX 5.01% and HBO announced that the latter’s online streaming service, HBO Go, will be offered as a standalone option starting next year – something cord-cutters everywhere have been clamoring for in recent years. The move was immediately seen as a threat to rival streaming sites such as Hulu and Netflix, with the latter countering later in the day with its own news that Netflix will start streaming all 10 seasons of Friends, starting in January.

Netflix has said before that it views HBO as its biggest competitor down the road, with Hastings and Wells writing to shareholders that the standalone HBO Go service did not come as a big surprise. “It was inevitable and sensible that they would eventually offer their service as a standalone application. Many people will subscribe to both Netflix and HBO since we have different shows, so we think it is likely we both prosper as consumers move to Internet TV,” the executives wrote.

Netflix has also been rumored to be in the running for streaming rights to Seinfeld, another iconic television program that would help the company better compete with its streaming rivals. Netflix has also been busy trying to woo new subscribers by bolstering its roster of original programming, which already includes popular and critically-acclaimed programs such as OITNB and House of Cards. Netflix recently signed a deal with Adam Sandler to produce and star in four films for the company, which also has plans to produce a sequel to Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. And, in June, Netflix signed a deal with comedian Chelsea Handler to produce multiple stand-up specials for the site as well as a new online talk show.

Shares of Netflix NFLX -18.91% have plunged after its quarterly earnings Wednesday in which the streaming service said it added fewer new members than expected. Netflix released a third-quarter financial report showing that the company has grown to 53.1 million total members worldwide, but the addition of 3.02 million subscribers in the third quarter fell below the company’s previous prediction of 3.69 million.

Despite the poorly received subscriber statistics, Netflix hit Wall Street’s revenue estimates in the third quarter by bringing in $1.4 billion. The company also reported profits of $59.3 million, or 96 cents a share, up from $48.4 million in last year’s third quarter. However, Netflix is only predicting earnings of 44 cents per share for the current quarter, which is far below the 91 cents per share that analysts had predicted, according to Bloomberg.

The disappointing subscriber totals knocked more than $115, or 26%, off each Netflix share to erase all of the company’s gains for the year.

Investors continue to be concerned about Netflix’s ability to hit membership growth goals after the company raised prices for new members by $1 earlier this year. Earlier this year, the company said it had topped 50 million streaming subscribers. At the time, the company added a better-than-expected 1.7 million members.

In a letter to shareholders, Netflix CEO Reed Hastings and CFO David Wells blamed the third-quarter’s poor membership growth on this year’s price hike while adding that the effects were likely not felt in the second quarter because of “the large positive reception” to the second season of the popular Netflix original television show Orange is the New Black.

“As best we can tell, the primary cause is the slightly higher prices we now have compared to a year ago. Slightly higher prices result in slightly less growth, other things being equal, and this is manifested more clearly in higher adoption markets such as the U.S.,” the Netflix executives wrote in a letter to shareholders.

In the U.S., specifically, the number of net new subscribers dropped to 1 million last quarter from 1.3 million during the same period last year. Netflix says it sill expects to add another 4 million new members in the fourth quarter, including 1.85 million in the U.S. and another 2.15 million overseas. Coming into Wednesday, the company’s stock had risen more than 20% on the year and had recently been buoyed by Netflix’s launch in six new European countries, led by France and Germany.

Hours before Netflix released its latest financial report, Time Warner TWX 5.01% and HBO announced that the latter’s online streaming service, HBO Go, will be offered as a standalone option starting next year – something cord-cutters everywhere have been clamoring for in recent years. The move was immediately seen as a threat to rival streaming sites such as Hulu and Netflix, with the latter countering later in the day with its own news that Netflix will start streaming all 10 seasons of Friends, starting in January.

Netflix has said before that it views HBO as its biggest competitor down the road, with Hastings and Wells writing to shareholders that the standalone HBO Go service did not come as a big surprise. “It was inevitable and sensible that they would eventually offer their service as a standalone application. Many people will subscribe to both Netflix and HBO since we have different shows, so we think it is likely we both prosper as consumers move to Internet TV,” the executives wrote.

Netflix has also been rumored to be in the running for streaming rights to Seinfeld, another iconic television program that would help the company better compete with its streaming rivals. Netflix has also been busy trying to woo new subscribers by bolstering its roster of original programming, which already includes popular and critically-acclaimed programs such as OITNB and House of Cards. Netflix recently signed a deal with Adam Sandler to produce and star in four films for the company, which also has plans to produce a sequel to Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. And, in June, Netflix signed a deal with comedian Chelsea Handler to produce multiple stand-up specials for the site as well as a new online talk show.

I told you guys to sell a few weeks back! That was as good as it was going to get.

between youtube, netflix, and amazon video i honestly cannot recall the last time i actually watched cable TV except putting cartoon network on to entertain my dog while i'm out.

wait, yes i can. breaking bad. that was it.

I don't even have cable TV anymore. Though I do piggy back on my family's cable service that let's me "watch" cable TV from any computer. https://www.watchtveverywhere.comOnce you log in you can choose from any of these channels streamed to your computer or internet connected tv. ;)

Netflix has been around since 1997; their business model is old news: with very few exceptions if it is on DVD Netflix has it. If you want to watch a "new release" go see it in theaters and pay $10-$15 at a time. As I have said before, Netflix became a huge and successful company because they offer multiple DVDs by mail at a very low price with no late fees. The streaming catalog is merely icing on the cake.

Bay, I remember several years back something happened with their DVD catalogue rights. Do you recall? They no longer carried even many of the most popular films, so I quit. Later, I searched through my girlfriend's account and all was well again.

Bay, I remember several years back something happened with their DVD catalogue rights. Do you recall? They no longer carried even many of the most popular films, so I quit. Later, I searched through my girlfriend's account and all was well again.

Remember any of this?

I have no memory of that. Perhaps you are confusing the DVD catalog with the streaming catalog; the latter has gone through some ups and downs. If you are certain it was the DVD catalog it should be easy for you to find several stories about it online. Link?

I have no memory of that. Perhaps you are confusing the DVD catalog with the streaming catalog; the latter has gone through some ups and downs. If you are certain it was the DVD catalog it should be easy for you to find several stories about it online. Link?

I'll Google it. Guess I could have simply screwed up my searching parameters back when.

I don't even have cable TV anymore. Though I do piggy back on my family's cable service that let's me "watch" cable TV from any computer. https://www.watchtveverywhere.comOnce you log in you can choose from any of these channels streamed to your computer or internet connected tv. ;)

haha my parents offered to let me use their directv account. don't even care, i follow SO little actual television i literally do not need the access.

$200/mo just so i can watch a small handful of shows and events that i could get for a fraction of it online. no thanks.

I still own some, but I don't think I'm going to buy this stock on this dip like I might normally do with a company that actually makes a substantial profit. I trimmed some of this in the last couple weeks - sold off half early last week when all of this volatility started up.

I have no memory of that. Perhaps you are confusing the DVD catalog with the streaming catalog; the latter has gone through some ups and downs. If you are certain it was the DVD catalog it should be easy for you to find several stories about it online. Link?

I've been going through lots of their documentaries lately. Any interesting recommendations?

And keeping it bodybuilding-related, they don't have The Terminator! (only on DVD)

Yeah but they have Pumping Iron.

Title: Re: Netflix
Post by: BayGBM on December 31, 2014, 05:08:50 PM

I told you about the opportunity of Netlflix in January of 2012 but many of you did not want to listen. I trust you have learned your lesson. ::) Now, I am telling you about a few more plays. Place your bets and lets revisit their performance a year from now. The January Effect alone should make them look good come February, but the test will be how they look one year from today. They are:

HRTG, CHNR, & VA. I bought VA the day it went public on November 14. Kramer immediately gave it a thumbs down, http://www.cnbc.com/id/102186368#.but it is up more than 44% since then. If you really have a tolerance for risk I'll add the following plays.

ATTBF, ABAT, & CBAK. I own a small position in each. Amounts I can easily lose and ignore... but if they pop... Bay likey! 8)

It does not have to be "incredible"; it just has to be better than any alternative. And it is. If you do not like it, you are welcome try Blockbuster. Oh wait, nevermind. The stock is currently trading at $348/share. 8)

People can bitch and moan about netflix, however it is well worth its money. The amount of movies I watch, it definitely pays for itself. I also have amazon prime, which has less movies, but better quality movies than netflix.

I told you about the opportunity of Netlflix in January of 2012 but many of you did not want to listen. I trust you have learned your lesson. ::) Now, I am telling you about a few more plays. Place your bets and lets revisit their performance a year from now. The January Effect alone should make them look good come February, but the test will be how they look one year from today. They are:

HRTG, CHNR, & VA. I bought VA the day it went public on November 14. Kramer immediately gave it a thumbs down, http://www.cnbc.com/id/102186368#.but it is up more than 44% since then. If you really have a tolerance for risk I'll add the following plays.

ATTBF, ABAT, & CBAK. I own a small position in each. Amounts I can easily lose and ignore... but if they pop... Bay likey! 8)

Investors sent its shares surging as much as 20 percent in early trading after Netflix said yesterday that it will profitably reach all 200 of the countries that have broadband Internet service within two years. The company’s stock had closed at $348.80 on Jan. 20, bringing its gain for the year to 2.1 percent.

“We then intend to generate material global profits from 2017 onwards,” Chief Executive Officer Reed Hastings and his finance chief, David Wells, said on the company’s website.

The outlook reassured investors who have expressed concerns about the company’s narrow margins, widening international losses and a budget for films and TV shows that’s swollen to $9.5 billion from $7.3 billion in the past year.

International subscriber growth outstripped gains in the US for the third straight quarter, as Hastings raced to plant his flag before other would-be competitors. Users outside the US expanded by a record 2.43 million in the fourth quarter, reaching 18.3 million.

Netflix expects to add another 2.25 million international customers this quarter. It already has more than 5 million users in Latin America, the most detailed number Netflix has given regarding international subscribers.

The company didn’t say which countries are up next after Australia and New Zealand, where the streaming service debuts in March. Unexplored territories with fast Internet service include China, Japan, Spain, and South Korea.

“Every country but North Korea,” Hastings said in an interview. “Under US law, we’re still blocked there.”

Licensing issues may inhibit Netflix’s expansion into China, he said. The company is exploring its options, and any investment will be modest.

Fourth-quarter revenue rose 26 percent to $1.48 billion, compared with analysts’ predictions of $1.49 billion. Net income almost doubled to $83.4 million, or $1.35 a share, aided by a tax benefit, Netflix said on its website.

Domestically, the company added 1.9 million new customers to reach 39.1 million, compared with the 1.85 million predicted. That brought the worldwide total to 57.4 million.

This quarter, Netflix forecasts 1.8 million new US customers. Profit will be $37 million, or 60 cents a share.

As Netflix expands into new markets, it will be offering more original programming than ever. The company plans 320 hours of original series, new and returning, films, documentaries, and stand-up comedy specials this year. That’s triple what was offered in 2014, the statement said.

Those programs including holdovers such as “House of Cards” and new shows like Tina Fey’s “The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.”

Netflix’s deal for the Batman-inspired TV show “Gotham” tested the cost of global rights to premium content, Hastings said. The company acquired worldwide rights to the show in its second window, after it leaves the air, and paid $1.75 million an episode in the US, according to Deadline.com.

The company faces competition for new television shows and creative talent from broadcast networks and cable channels, as well as newer players like Amazon.com Inc., Hulu, and Yahoo Inc. Amazon just won two Golden Globes for its show “Transparent,” and signed a deal with filmmaker Woody Allen.

Hastings compared his company’s growing rivalry with Amazon to the competition between Time Warner Inc.’s HBO and CBS Corp.’s Showtime. Netflix is HBO, in his estimation.

“When Showtime has a hot hand it increases their subscribers, but it doesn’t decrease HBO’s,” Hastings said.

Both Wells and Hastings said the average subscription price would continue to rise, and that prices don’t have to be the same in all new markets.

To support its programming efforts, Netflix plans to borrow at least $1 billion. The company’s has committed to spending $9.5 billion on programming.

“They are acknowledging reality and the right thing to do, which is lock in the money while it’s cheap and sprint as quickly as they can to build scale internationally,” Barton Crockett, an analyst with FBR Capital Markets, said in an interview. “It’s generally a good time to borrow.”

Title: Re: Netflix
Post by: 2Thick on February 01, 2015, 03:12:06 PM

Besides Netflix, Apple and Amazon also had big days on earnings in the last week or so as well.

I'm also starting to see some nice rebounding in most of my favorite energy names. After taking quite a bit off the table on these in early Oct, I've been buying back into most of them more lately - Continental Resources, Pioneer Nat Resources, Diamondback, EOG, Nabors, Slumber J, etc.

Biotech is often a big money maker. I mainly use both puts and calls to make money on either side on most of these. A few like Gilead are more solid fundamentally and a good longterm investment, but most have poor fundamentals and tend to stay down for periods, then jump up or down violently here and there on drug trials or decisions or M&A.

I bought some Intercept Pharma at around $170 not long ago after it sold off hard. I took half of that off the table yesterday @ a good 20%+ profit when it jumped back up well over $200 on a drug approval. Other biotechs like Medivation, La Jolla, Isis, and Tekmira have been doing well recently also.

My pretty big purchase of Hologic late last year has been paying off - another ~ 20% gain there recently as well.

Title: Re: Netflix
Post by: 2Thick on February 02, 2015, 01:59:11 PM

Grabbed a pretty big position in Westlake Chemical today, along with smaller positions in Sasol and Lyondell Bassell. All 3 of these specialty chems have been hammered pretty good in the last 4-5 months and look like bargains to me right about now.

I hedged with a put against PPG, another good specialty chem that appears to be a little too hot these days IMO.

Some others I like recently are Dow Chemical, DuPont, and Manitowoc. A bit more also lately in old favorites that are somewhat resistant to economic risk such as Ross Stores, Popeyes, and Sonic.

People can bitch and moan about netflix, however it is well worth its money. The amount of movies I watch, it definitely pays for itself. I also have amazon prime, which has less movies, but better quality movies than netflix.

Netflix sucks, because most of the good movies are disc only. This is a limitation set by the greedy studios tho. Amazon prime sucks more, but it is included with my prime membership so i used it. I bought a roku stick just for amazon and TWC TV app, but used my apple tv for everything else. Apple TV is so much better then roku.

Netflix sucks, because most of the good movies are disc only. This is a limitation set by the greedy studios tho. Amazon prime sucks more, but it is included with my prime membership so i used it. I bought a roku stick just for amazon and TWC TV app, but used my apple tv for everything else. Apple TV is so much better then roku.

Where else can you find obscure films, though? Queue the disc, big deal.

not a big deal.obscure films? i live in austin, bro. Austin is artsy as hell. I can go to any number of local hipster shops and get discs cheap as fuck.

Ok, then. Problem solved. Nevermind.

Title: Re: Netflix
Post by: BayGBM on April 11, 2015, 09:42:37 AM

In this thread on December 31, I recommended the purchase of CBAK. Had you purchased it on January 1 following my recommendation, you would now have a gain of 131.89%. Just saying. 8)

Title: Re: Netflix
Post by: 2Thick on April 11, 2015, 11:20:48 AM

I sold just about all of what little Netflix I had left.

I started buying VLTC on the 2nd of April at around $2.30, have a couple thousand shares now with a cost basis around $3.80. Took some off Monday when it popped above $4, then bought some more Tues when it sold off some 15%. Sold some more yesterday when it popped up above $7. Bought more late yesterday when it sold off to around $6. They are a very likely takeover target - perhaps in double digits.

As long as we're bragging... ;D

I did mention Westlake Chemical on Feb 2. I've made nearly 30% there. I also mentioned buying Intercept Pharma in early Jan in one of these threads - up nearly 80% there. Up 90% on Isis Pharma in about 10 months. 35% YTD on FANG, 30% on CLR, ~ 30% on Orbital I mentioned buying about 6 months ago. Well into triple digits on LaJolla in a few months, etc.

Also nice gains on others I've mentioned previously like Hologic, PXD, Ross Stores, and Sonic. Closed very profitable shorts on HLF and Sears recently. Still short IBM (up 15% or so in the last 6 months), JCP, WWE, etc.

Have recently gone long NXP Semiconductors when it sold off into the early 90s. Recently shorted Primerica and GM, grabbed a small short on GE yesterday towards the end of the day.

Lost a few bucks here and there buying a couple of speculative energy plays too early. I like to watch the Nasdaq gainers and losers each day and keep an eye on them. I'll sometimes short them lightly when they pop up a ridiculous % in a single day. I'll often cover / buy them lightly and perhaps hold once they've sold off pretty hard from the artificial high.

And I doubled down recently in the low $20's on a buy of US Steel I made about 6 months ago at over $30. I had previously owned it for a while and sold it many years ago when it got up to near $200 back in '07 before the crash.

I've also been disappointed so far with the purchase of Hertz I made a while back in the mid 20's after they canned the CEO - I was hoping to see some sort of a breakup or auction there. But I may have to just wait on a slow turnaround. :-\

Title: Re: Netflix
Post by: 2Thick on April 25, 2015, 01:04:28 PM

Sold the VLTC Wednesday morning after the open for right around $20 before it climbed all the way up to $21.75. Not often you make ~ 400% in 3 weeks on a position. ;D

Grabbed a couple hundred shares of SYMX today. Will probably be buying more if it falls some more off it's spike from a couple of days ago. Not a huge amount - I generally don't buy these low priced stocks heavily unless something very unusual is going on.

I don't really expect this one to be likely to shoot up too much too soon - more of a mid to longterm investment. But I have been wrong before. ;)

Title: Re: Netflix
Post by: 2Thick on May 01, 2015, 11:28:22 AM

I mentioned a few days ago buying Hertz in the mid 20's last year. I doubled down @ $21.75 a little earlier. They're up like crazy out of nowhere this afternoon on heavy volume - I suspect something may finally be getting done there. ;)

Closed out shorts on GE and IBM in the past couple of days.

Title: Re: Netflix
Post by: 2Thick on May 16, 2015, 08:29:15 AM

NFLX is well over $600 now. I'd mentioned in that previous post that somehow got erased that I sold what little I had left when it popped above $530 last month. It keeps going higher though. :o

On April 29, I bought a few bucks of PTBI. Added to it a bit yesterday. Will buy more if / when it cools off.

Also grabbed a little PBYI Thurs and Fri after a big selloff. Have owned this one before.

I cancelled Netflix. Their service is horrible. I predict they will be out of business in less than three years.

Extract foot from mouth. Lather. Rinse. Repeat. :-X

Their service is still excellent. It is three years later and not only are they still in business, their market cap is now more than $53 billion. Had you purchased 100 shares of Netflix on July 24, 2012 (they day you posted your prediction) you would have spent $7,027. Today that investment would now be worth $91,594. That is a return of 1,203.47%.

VLTC has been in the dumps for the last several months, but today it is up more than 100%! :o

Edit: ended the day up 144.86%!

Yeah, it's supposedly worth something like $16.50-$17.50 on paper.

I made a nice trade on EFUT this week - bought a little of it in the upper $8 range Tues after it sold off hard from a big pop Monday. Bought a good bit more of it when it dropped lower in the $8 range Wed... Then sold it all yesterday at just under $16 when it popped up big again.

Have been doing really well on some of these small biotechs - buying a little of them on dips, buying a fair amount on hard dips, and selling some or all on the enevitable big jumps - Aquinox, KaloBios, Macrocure, LaJolla, etc. A little VRX on this recent big selloff...

Their service is still excellent. It is three years later and not only are they still in business, their market cap is now more than $53 billion. Had you purchased 100 shares of Netflix on July 24, 2012 (they day you posted your prediction) you would have spent $7,027. Today that investment would now be worth $91,594. That is a return of 1,203.47%.

Bay likey! :-*

I enrolled in their Employee Stock Purchase plan for ten years and had a thousand shares by the time I left the company four years ago. Dumped them all on a day when the stock jumped and got six figures back.

I enrolled in their Employee Stock Purchase plan for ten years and had a thousand shares by the time I left the company four years ago. Dumped them all on a day when the stock jumped and got six figures back.

And how much is your cable bill? Netflix streaming and DVD is about $20 per month. There is no better value for watching movies.

Cable, phone and internet bundle all premium services. For example, fastest DL speed, every calling feature and access to all premium channels around $180. Never have to wait to watch a movie and when I watch it there is no disc to skip and ruin my experience. Also, the streaming selection on Netflix sucks! Happy you made a few bucks off their stock, there service just isn't for me and millions of others.

Cable, phone and internet bundle all premium services. For example, fastest DL speed, every calling feature and access to all premium channels around $180. Never have to wait to watch a movie and when I watch it there is no disc to skip and ruin my experience. Also, the streaming selection on Netflix sucks! Happy you made a few bucks off their stock, there service just isn't for me and millions of others.

Netflix's growth elicits fear in Hollywood by Yvonne Villarreal and Meg James

Time Warner Chief Executive Jeff Bewkes once likened Netflix to the "Albanian army."

That army now has more than 70 million subscribers in nearly 200 countries — and may well be the most feared force in Hollywood.

The Los Gatos, Calif., company has moved from its foundation as a video rental business to become an entertainment juggernaut generating award-winning content for both its digital streaming service and theatrical releases. Many of Hollywood's most talented writers and producers take their proposals to Netflix first.

"Every single day in my company, and I know in other companies, there's a question of: 'Did we do something ... to build a monster that will come back to kill us?'" NBCUniversal research President Alan Wurtzel said last week at the Television Critics Assn. media tour in Pasadena.

The tipping point came last summer when Walt Disney Co. revised profit expectations for its cable channels including ESPN, reflecting an industrywide shift as more consumers cut their cable offerings in favor of Netflix or other services. The news triggered a sell-off of media stocks, erasing nearly $50 billion in market value in two days.

Media stocks have not recovered, and executives such as Bewkes have signaled a possible change in their dealings with Netflix and other digital outlets. He said Time Warner was considering holding onto episodes of its shows longer before making them available for video-on-demand services.

Hollywood long has had a love-hate relationship with Netflix. The honeymoon began when Netflix was just a scrappy vendor that would buy DVDs of movie and TV shows and send them in red envelopes to customers across the country (which it still does). The business generated revenue for the studios through increased DVD sales. Then, in 2007, Netflix added a streaming option and provided studios with even more money for the rights to their old movies and TV reruns.

But tensions have escalated as Netflix has become the go-to destination for millions of viewers who are attracted by its low cost — $9.99 a month — ease of use and commercial-free programming.

"Netflix has been built on the back of great content from studios like our own," Fox Television Group Co-Chairman Dana Walden said in an interview at the Television Critics Assn. media tour. "It has helped to reinvigorate fan bases of shows. But from the network side, it's very challenging. They're a competitor."

Last year, Netflix Chief Executive Reed Hastings ribbed the traditional TV networks, likening them to a fax machine — amazing in the 1980s but now outdated. At the CES technology conference this month in Las Vegas, Hastings told attendees they were "witnessing the birth of a new global Internet TV network."

At a pre-Golden Globes party at Ted Sarandos' home in Hancock Park the following night, Netflix's head of content was still reveling in the achievement.

"Everywhere in the world, your shows are on Netflix and people are enjoying them right now," Sarandos told the crowd that included comedians Chelsea Handler and Aziz Ansari and the cast of "Orange Is the New Black." A few partygoers whooped and cheered.

Netflix has been ramping up production of shows that will be exclusive to the service. It plans to make 600 hours of original programming in fiscal 2016.

That puts it on par with what a broadcast TV network airs in prime time. Netflix's slate includes new seasons of "House of Cards" and "Grace and Frankie" and the debut of "Fuller House," a remake of a hit 1980s sitcom.

Netflix also has been rattling the movie theater industry by streaming its own original films on the same day they arrive in cinemas. Fearing a threat to their industry, some cinema chains have refused to distribute Netflix films, including its acclaimed "Beasts of No Nation" and the sequel to "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon," which will premiere next month on Netflix and at select Imax theaters.

Once a footnote at the Television Critics Assn. media tour, where TV networks showcase their upcoming series, Netflix on Sunday presented 14 panels with an all-star lineup of some of its most popular shows. Just outside the main room where Sarandos spoke, a replica of the "House of Cards" oval office was on display, along with exhibits of costumes for shows such as "Jessica Jones" and "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt."

One potential obstacle to Netflix's global ambitions, however, is that many studios refuse to hand over international rights for the TV shows they sell to Netflix. The studios want to hold onto those lucrative rights for themselves as they expand their own operations in other countries.

"Every year the exclusions of different countries in our licensing agreements become less and less," Sarandos said at the TV critics media tour. "Our ultimate goal is that Netflix is basically the same everywhere in the world. That being said, there are existing output deals that tie up some of the content for years."

Media executives view Netflix with a mix of admiration and fear. The concern is Netflix has been instrumental in encouraging consumers to drop their pay-TV subscriptions in favor of a streaming service. In consumer satisfaction surveys, Netflix wins high marks in contrast to cable TV companies, which have a reputation for poor customer service.

"It started out with Netflix wanting admission to the party. Then they got in and mingled well with the TV guys," said FBR Capital Markets analyst Barton Crockett. "But now they've become so strong and the life of the party that now those TV guys are wondering if maybe they liked Netflix too much, too soon."

TV networks must fight with Netflix for premier projects, and in many cases producers are attracted by Netflix's talent-friendly culture that allows them to take more creative risks because Netflix is not beholden to ratings or advertisers.

Netflix also ushered in an era of binge-viewing that has helped train viewers to opt for on-demand commercial-free programming. That culture threatens another pillar of media: advertising revenue. TV companies receive about $70 billion a year in ad revenue, according to Kantar Media.

Media companies have responded to Netflix's incursion and the changes in consumer behavior by launching their own streaming services. NBCUniversal unveiled a comedy outlet called SeeSo, CBS has CBS All Access, and premium channels Showtime and HBO have direct-to-consumer offerings.

Studios also are selling more shows to Amazon.com and building Hulu into a more vibrant competitor to Netflix. Hulu last year nabbed streaming rights to the entire "Seinfeld" library, as well as licensing deals with AMC, Discovery, Turner Broadcasting and FX Networks. Epix began steering its movies to Hulu last summer when its pact with Netflix expired.

"Studios and networks are clearly interested in seeing other players balance out the strength of Netflix," Crockett said.

"There's a lot of chaos in the media space," Sarandos told The Times. "The emergence of subscription video-on-demand, and what it means to linear television and the value of cable channels — all that stuff — it's all very complicated for them and they're trying to manage."

In fact, media companies have made hundreds of millions of dollars by selling their shows to Netflix, including old product from their libraries whose shelf life on TV had long passed. Netflix also has become a hungry buyer of new originals, and has ordered such shows from traditional studios — including Warner Bros., which produces three originals for Netflix. Disney produces Marvel shows for Netflix, including "Jessica Jones" and "Daredevil," and Sony Pictures Television has two projects in the works.

The small CW television network, owned by CBS and Warner Bros., lost money for years until 2011 when it struck a four-year, $1-billion deal to provide its programming, including "Jane the Virgin" and "Arrow," to Netflix. The network finally turned a profit. On Friday, Fox announced that it was reviving its canceled drama "Prison Break" because audiences were devouring old episodes on Netflix.

"Netflix is a great revenue source for them, and they're trying to figure out how do they make sure this revenue source doesn't undermine their long-term economic health," Sarandos said. "They're just trying to navigate those waters."

Many point to the "Breaking Bad" effect to illustrate how Netflix can be friend and foe. The AMC drama, about a chemistry teacher-turned-meth dealer, was a middling performer for the cable channel until its fourth season, when many viewers discovered it on Netflix. The show's audience steadily grew, and by its fifth and final season had shot up in the ratings. Still, some viewers waited to see the episodes on Netflix and they associated "Breaking Bad" with Netflix — not AMC.

Some TV executives believe the Netflix threat might be overblown.

"The reports of our death have been greatly exaggerated," NBCUniversal's Wurtzel said.

Wurtzel cited research from independent firm Symphony Advanced Media that showed that although Netflix makes a pop with its original shows, viewers might binge on episodes for a few days, or even a few weeks, but then return to traditional viewing patterns. Viewers watch an average of 5.43 hours per day of programming, according to Nielsen data, and about 28 minutes of viewing is through services such as Netflix and Hulu.

In contrast, viewers spend more than four hours a day watching broadcast and cable TV.

Netflix's growth elicits fear in Hollywood by Yvonne Villarreal and Meg James

Time Warner Chief Executive Jeff Bewkes once likened Netflix to the "Albanian army."

That army now has more than 70 million subscribers in nearly 200 countries — and may well be the most feared force in Hollywood.

The Los Gatos, Calif., company has moved from its foundation as a video rental business to become an entertainment juggernaut generating award-winning content for both its digital streaming service and theatrical releases. Many of Hollywood's most talented writers and producers take their proposals to Netflix first.

"Every single day in my company, and I know in other companies, there's a question of: 'Did we do something ... to build a monster that will come back to kill us?'" NBCUniversal research President Alan Wurtzel said last week at the Television Critics Assn. media tour in Pasadena.

The tipping point came last summer when Walt Disney Co. revised profit expectations for its cable channels including ESPN, reflecting an industrywide shift as more consumers cut their cable offerings in favor of Netflix or other services. The news triggered a sell-off of media stocks, erasing nearly $50 billion in market value in two days.

Media stocks have not recovered, and executives such as Bewkes have signaled a possible change in their dealings with Netflix and other digital outlets. He said Time Warner was considering holding onto episodes of its shows longer before making them available for video-on-demand services.

Hollywood long has had a love-hate relationship with Netflix. The honeymoon began when Netflix was just a scrappy vendor that would buy DVDs of movie and TV shows and send them in red envelopes to customers across the country (which it still does). The business generated revenue for the studios through increased DVD sales. Then, in 2007, Netflix added a streaming option and provided studios with even more money for the rights to their old movies and TV reruns.

But tensions have escalated as Netflix has become the go-to destination for millions of viewers who are attracted by its low cost — $9.99 a month — ease of use and commercial-free programming.

"Netflix has been built on the back of great content from studios like our own," Fox Television Group Co-Chairman Dana Walden said in an interview at the Television Critics Assn. media tour. "It has helped to reinvigorate fan bases of shows. But from the network side, it's very challenging. They're a competitor."

Last year, Netflix Chief Executive Reed Hastings ribbed the traditional TV networks, likening them to a fax machine — amazing in the 1980s but now outdated. At the CES technology conference this month in Las Vegas, Hastings told attendees they were "witnessing the birth of a new global Internet TV network."

At a pre-Golden Globes party at Ted Sarandos' home in Hancock Park the following night, Netflix's head of content was still reveling in the achievement.

"Everywhere in the world, your shows are on Netflix and people are enjoying them right now," Sarandos told the crowd that included comedians Chelsea Handler and Aziz Ansari and the cast of "Orange Is the New Black." A few partygoers whooped and cheered.

Netflix has been ramping up production of shows that will be exclusive to the service. It plans to make 600 hours of original programming in fiscal 2016.

That puts it on par with what a broadcast TV network airs in prime time. Netflix's slate includes new seasons of "House of Cards" and "Grace and Frankie" and the debut of "Fuller House," a remake of a hit 1980s sitcom.

Netflix also has been rattling the movie theater industry by streaming its own original films on the same day they arrive in cinemas. Fearing a threat to their industry, some cinema chains have refused to distribute Netflix films, including its acclaimed "Beasts of No Nation" and the sequel to "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon," which will premiere next month on Netflix and at select Imax theaters.

Once a footnote at the Television Critics Assn. media tour, where TV networks showcase their upcoming series, Netflix on Sunday presented 14 panels with an all-star lineup of some of its most popular shows. Just outside the main room where Sarandos spoke, a replica of the "House of Cards" oval office was on display, along with exhibits of costumes for shows such as "Jessica Jones" and "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt."

One potential obstacle to Netflix's global ambitions, however, is that many studios refuse to hand over international rights for the TV shows they sell to Netflix. The studios want to hold onto those lucrative rights for themselves as they expand their own operations in other countries.

"Every year the exclusions of different countries in our licensing agreements become less and less," Sarandos said at the TV critics media tour. "Our ultimate goal is that Netflix is basically the same everywhere in the world. That being said, there are existing output deals that tie up some of the content for years."

Media executives view Netflix with a mix of admiration and fear. The concern is Netflix has been instrumental in encouraging consumers to drop their pay-TV subscriptions in favor of a streaming service. In consumer satisfaction surveys, Netflix wins high marks in contrast to cable TV companies, which have a reputation for poor customer service.

"It started out with Netflix wanting admission to the party. Then they got in and mingled well with the TV guys," said FBR Capital Markets analyst Barton Crockett. "But now they've become so strong and the life of the party that now those TV guys are wondering if maybe they liked Netflix too much, too soon."

TV networks must fight with Netflix for premier projects, and in many cases producers are attracted by Netflix's talent-friendly culture that allows them to take more creative risks because Netflix is not beholden to ratings or advertisers.

Netflix also ushered in an era of binge-viewing that has helped train viewers to opt for on-demand commercial-free programming. That culture threatens another pillar of media: advertising revenue. TV companies receive about $70 billion a year in ad revenue, according to Kantar Media.

Media companies have responded to Netflix's incursion and the changes in consumer behavior by launching their own streaming services. NBCUniversal unveiled a comedy outlet called SeeSo, CBS has CBS All Access, and premium channels Showtime and HBO have direct-to-consumer offerings.

Studios also are selling more shows to Amazon.com and building Hulu into a more vibrant competitor to Netflix. Hulu last year nabbed streaming rights to the entire "Seinfeld" library, as well as licensing deals with AMC, Discovery, Turner Broadcasting and FX Networks. Epix began steering its movies to Hulu last summer when its pact with Netflix expired.

"Studios and networks are clearly interested in seeing other players balance out the strength of Netflix," Crockett said.

"There's a lot of chaos in the media space," Sarandos told The Times. "The emergence of subscription video-on-demand, and what it means to linear television and the value of cable channels — all that stuff — it's all very complicated for them and they're trying to manage."

In fact, media companies have made hundreds of millions of dollars by selling their shows to Netflix, including old product from their libraries whose shelf life on TV had long passed. Netflix also has become a hungry buyer of new originals, and has ordered such shows from traditional studios — including Warner Bros., which produces three originals for Netflix. Disney produces Marvel shows for Netflix, including "Jessica Jones" and "Daredevil," and Sony Pictures Television has two projects in the works.

The small CW television network, owned by CBS and Warner Bros., lost money for years until 2011 when it struck a four-year, $1-billion deal to provide its programming, including "Jane the Virgin" and "Arrow," to Netflix. The network finally turned a profit. On Friday, Fox announced that it was reviving its canceled drama "Prison Break" because audiences were devouring old episodes on Netflix.

"Netflix is a great revenue source for them, and they're trying to figure out how do they make sure this revenue source doesn't undermine their long-term economic health," Sarandos said. "They're just trying to navigate those waters."

Many point to the "Breaking Bad" effect to illustrate how Netflix can be friend and foe. The AMC drama, about a chemistry teacher-turned-meth dealer, was a middling performer for the cable channel until its fourth season, when many viewers discovered it on Netflix. The show's audience steadily grew, and by its fifth and final season had shot up in the ratings. Still, some viewers waited to see the episodes on Netflix and they associated "Breaking Bad" with Netflix — not AMC.

Some TV executives believe the Netflix threat might be overblown.

"The reports of our death have been greatly exaggerated," NBCUniversal's Wurtzel said.

Wurtzel cited research from independent firm Symphony Advanced Media that showed that although Netflix makes a pop with its original shows, viewers might binge on episodes for a few days, or even a few weeks, but then return to traditional viewing patterns. Viewers watch an average of 5.43 hours per day of programming, according to Nielsen data, and about 28 minutes of viewing is through services such as Netflix and Hulu.

In contrast, viewers spend more than four hours a day watching broadcast and cable TV.

"People are watching TV the way God intended," Wurtzel said.

The thing with cable is this: If youre not a big tv watcher, why pay for it? I watch a handful of channels on cable: National Geographic (and NG Wild), Discovery Channel, Investigative Discovery, and Animal Planet. So, why am I going to pay a full subscription to watch 5 stations? When I lived in California, I didn't have cable because I barely watch tv. With netfllix ($7.99 per month), Amazon Prime ($99 for the year) and the internet, I got along just fine.

What the cable companies need to do is to allow people to pay based on how many channels they want. And the consumer gets to pick the channels.

And yeah, you wonder why cable providers didn't think of that earlier.

Title: Re: Netflix
Post by: BayGBM on April 04, 2016, 05:45:19 AM

On December 31, 2014, in this thread, I advised the purchase of Virgin America. It has gone up substantially in the last week and is up 40% this morning on news that Alaska Air will purchase it for $2B. Now is the time to put in your stop limit orders and/or sell. You are most welcome. 8)

On December 31, 2014, in this thread, I advised the purchase of Virgin America. It has gone up substantially in the last week and is up 40% this morning on news that Alaska Air will purchase it for $2B. Now is the time to put in your stop limit orders and/or sell. You are most welcome. 8)

The thing with cable is this: If youre not a big tv watcher, why pay for it? I watch a handful of channels on cable: National Geographic (and NG Wild), Discovery Channel, Investigative Discovery, and Animal Planet. So, why am I going to pay a full subscription to watch 5 stations? When I lived in California, I didn't have cable because I barely watch tv. With netfllix ($7.99 per month), Amazon Prime ($99 for the year) and the internet, I got along just fine.

What the cable companies need to do is to allow people to pay based on how many channels they want. And the consumer gets to pick the channels.

The greedy pricks do it on purpose. And then they put channels that you may watch in different packages. Where two of the five channels might be in basic cable, then another two in another tier and maybe your last favorite channel in another. They force you to buy all of the channels. I was paying $292 a month for cable internet and phone and finally was like, what the fuck? I backed it down, because with a few kids I don't even watch tv, it was just a convenience thing. I'm not a penny pincher but I hate wasting money. Fuck cable. I'm about to get direct tv or dish.

The greedy pricks do it on purpose. And then they put channels that you may watch in different packages. Where two of the five channels might be in basic cable, then another two in another tier and maybe your last favorite channel in another. They force you to buy all of the channels. I was paying $292 a month for cable internet and phone and finally was like, what the fuck? I backed it down, because with a few kids I don't even watch tv, it was just a convenience thing. I'm not a penny pincher but I hate wasting money. Fuck cable. I'm about to get direct tv or dish.

I have cable now and I barely watch it. Its maybe on for like an hour a day, if that. I could afford cable, but why have it if I don't need it. As you said, its just a waste. I get along fine with amazon prime and netflix.

Title: Re: Netflix
Post by: Ryu Smash on August 07, 2016, 07:50:25 AM

I cancelled it a while ago. I'll get it back for the next House of Cards season, but outside of that show, I have no interest in any other original series.

I have cable now and I barely watch it. Its maybe on for like an hour a day, if that. I could afford cable, but why have it if I don't need it. As you said, its just a waste. I get along fine with amazon prime and netflix.

Between my digital antenna (which gives me local ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, and a few others) and Netflix I have more than enough to watch. I never expect to have cable again. 8)

If you enjoy paying cable bills more power to you, but why make posts that are simply inaccurate and make you look foolish? There are several seasons of Walking Dead (available for streaming) on Netflix. ::)

Title: Re: Netflix
Post by: MP on October 03, 2016, 05:07:54 PM

There Are 50% Fewer Titles In The Netflix Catalog Than There Were Four Years Ago

Netflix Inc. blew through its forecast for subscriber additions in the September quarter, reassuring investors who were skittish about the streaming giant’s growth trajectory and sending its shares soaring 20% in after-hours trading.

The better-than-expected performance came mainly in international markets, where the company has completed a massive, near-global expansion this year. Netflix is making a big bet that the same mix of edgy original content and library programming that has taken the U.S. media world by storm will translate overseas.

The company added 3.2 million international subscribers in the quarter, compared with its guidance of 2 million.

In the U.S., Netflix added 370,000 subscribers in the period. That is more than 20% ahead of its forecast of 300,000, though sharply below the year-ago quarter’s 880,000 additions, reflecting how the U.S. streaming market is maturing as more consumers sign up for Netflix, Amazon.com, Hulu and other services.

Wall Street’s reaction shows that the company’s global rollout across many territories at once is creating a foggy business outlook—for itself and investors—and leading to a volatile expectations game.

The September quarter’s performance was better than the year-ago quarter’s 2.74 million international subscriber additions, but in the intervening time Netflix has launched in more than 130 countries, elevating its growth potential substantially.

Last quarter, when Netflix missed its internal estimates for subscriber growth, Netflix Chief Executive Reed Hastings apologized on the call to investors for the volatility of Netflix’s stock, which sank 13% after the results. On Monday, as Netflix shares soared, Mr. Hastings smiled and said: “We can all see it’s time for me to apologize for the volatility again.”

Shares surged nearly 20% to $119.35 in after-hours trading. Before that, the stock had fallen 13% this year as the streaming video giant has struggled to keep up with investors’ growth expectations.

“This is a weird year,” said MoffettNathanson analyst Michael Nathanson. “In some ways, we’re being swung around by our inability to forecast what’s a brand new market, which is the rest of the world.”

Despite the subscriber beat this quarter, he said “we’re in the camp that we think international is not all it’s cracked up to be,” due to the uneven nature of internet service and regulatory environment around the world.

Longtime Netflix investor Zevenbergen Capital Investments takes the opposite view. It has taken advantage of recent dips in Netflix’s shares to buy, and says it’s in the stock for the “long term.”

“We realize this is a long process,” said Joe Dennison, Zevenbergen portfolio manager, referring to the global expansion. “If you look at the bigger picture, this is the direction the world is moving and they are really the only global player.”

Netflix’s report of 3.57 million new streaming subscribers globally, which brings its total customer base to about 83 million paid users, comes a quarter after it reported its weakest subscriber expansion in three years. Growing the customer base is crucial for the company to offset its growing content costs, as it seeks to offer evermore shows and movies to appeal to customers all over the world.

In a letter to shareholders, Netflix said the impact of its original show premieres was “greater than anticipated” in international markets, propelling strong subscriber numbers. The company called out “Narcos,” the Latin American drug drama, as a show that had “positive impact” on subscriber acquisition across all of its markets. “We’re having broad success around international,” Mr. Hastings said on a video call with analysts. “We’re continuing to make those investments” but “we’ve got a lot of room to go to improve the service.”

Turning a profit off the global expansion is the next challenge. Netflix said it expects to lose more money from its international operations next quarter as it continues to invest in original content, targeting more than 1,000 hours of original programming next year, a roughly two-thirds increase.

The company expects content spending in 2017 to increase to $6 billion from $5 billion this year, and it plans to take on more debt in the coming weeks.

Best known for dark dramas and comedies such as “House of Cards” and “Orange is the New Black,” Netflix is branching out into different genres including reality shows. On the call, Netflix Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos said the recent hire of a well-regarded former NBCUniversal executive, Bela Bajaria, was done in part to focus on getting a “good, steady flow of high-quality unscripted programming.”

Overall, for the third quarter, Netflix reported profit of $51.5 million, or 12 cents a share, up from $29.4 million, or 7 cents a share, a year ago. Revenue rose to $2.29 billion from $1.74 billion in the year-ago quarter.

Netflix reiterated that it expects to start delivering material global profit next year.

In the letter to shareholders, Netflix said it is going to explore opportunities to license its shows to other online players in China, a way to build Netflix’s brand. Mr. Hastings recently said “it doesn’t look good” for Netflix’s prospects of entering China as a stand-alone streaming service in the near term.

The video company said the revenue contribution from China licensing will be “modest.” In the long term, it still hopes to “serve the Chinese people directly, and hope to launch our service in China eventually.”

Netflix has also been customizing its user interface in markets such as Poland and Turkey, accepting payments in local currencies and offering local-language options for navigating its apps and for streaming its content. Netflix said it has seen “nice gains” in viewing and retention as a result and is going to expand the initiative in other countries.

In the U.S., there has been a growth slowdown. But Mr. Hastings said he still thinks Netflix can reach 60 million to 90 million subscribers in the U.S., up from 48 million today. He called out the coming royal drama “The Crown,” one of the most expensive shows Netflix has ever made, and said “when you watch that show, it’s going to seem quite achievable.”

Netflix expects to add 5.2 million subscribers in the fourth quarter, compared with the 5.59 million it added in the year-ago quarter. Netflix attributed the expected year-over-year decline in new subscribers to the uptick in service cancellations by consumers who were temporarily locked into lower-priced packages but now face price increases.

That process would be over in the fourth quarter, the company said. Service cancellations have been more pronounced in the U.S., where more than half of its customers had been “grandfathered” at the lower prices.

Mr. Hastings said he’s constantly reminding his employees that even though Netflix is closing in on 100 million world-wide subscribers, Facebook and YouTube have more than a billion daily active users. “We are just so small compared with those other internet video firms,” he said. “I think you have to think big about the future.”